1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a source of electrical energy and, more specifically, to generation of direct current electrical energy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Batteries are the most commonly used electrical power source. They consist of cells in which chemical energy is converted into electrical energy. Each cell is a container having therein a negative electrode, a positive electrode, an electrolyte solution and electrode separators.
The negative electrode is in what is referred to as a reduced state whereas the positive electrode is in what is referred to as an oxidized state. When the cell is operating, the negative electrode yields electrons through an external circuit to the positive electrode whereby the negative electrode is oxidized and the positive electrode is reduced. The electrons are carried through the cell by ions of the electrolyte solution.
Two types of batteries are known, namely a primary battery and a secondary battery. In the primary battery, the oxidation and reduction cannot be efficiently reversed. This is not the case for the secondary battery, however, which are often referred to as a storage battery because of the reversibility.
The primary battery has a limited useful life; it is discarded upon depletion of its electrical energy. The primary battery is not easily recyclable; it contributes to environmental pollution. The secondary cell has a longer useful life because of the reversibility of the oxidation and reduction, but they are heavy and utilize strong acids thereby making their disposal an environmental pollution problem.
Accordingly, there is a need for a source of direct current electrical energy that has a long useful life and does not contribute to environmental pollution.
According to the present invention, a plastic container has a plurality of chambers. Within each chamber is an electrode pair immersed in a liquid medium. The electrode pair includes a negative electrode and a positive electrode. The negative electrode has a greater electromotive force than the positive electrode.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention should be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.